The present invention relates to disposable light handles for manually adjustable light fixtures utilized in sterile medical treatment and operating rooms, for example.
In the field of disposable light handles, sterile light handles may be designed to provide ease of connection with light fixtures to allow medical personnel to maintain sterile conditions and to control movable light fixtures in medical operating rooms. It is a preference in the field that the disposable light handles can be compactly containerized for space-efficient storage and shipment while maintaining sterility of the light handles.
Typical of the prior art are those disposable light handles disclosed in the following U.S. Patents. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,735,598, to Ramirez, a surgical light handle is disclosed that includes a tubular handle, a circular generally planar shield, and a threaded portion. The circular shield includes two living hinges which permit opposing sides of the shield to be folded down against the handle for packaging and storage. These folded sides will not return to the plane of the shield of their own accord and require some external force for their alignment as parts of the shield. A plurality of tabs are disposed on the lower face of the shield, and a matching indentation is formed on the lower end of the handle to enable two side-by-side aligned handles to be frictionally engaged together as a unit by engaging the tabs of one handle with the indentations of the other handle. The circular shield is spread and held in an open configuration when the handle is attached to a separate adapter cap that provides tension against a central portion of the shield to return the folded sides of the shield to the plane of the circular shield, and attaches the handle and shield to a light fixture handle.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,288, to Reasner, a disposable plastic handle and shield for engaging a surgical light fixture handle is disclosed that includes a hollow handle with a threaded upper end portion and an integral, generally planar circular shield connected to the handle between the threaded upper end portion and the lower portion of the hollow handle. The shield includes a pair of spaced apart grooves in the shield underside to allow opposite sides of the shield to be folded downward onto the lower portion of the hollow handle for packaging and storage. Return of the downwardly folded sides of the shield to the plane of the circular shield is by mechanical leverage applied through an adaptor.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,878,156, to Hallings et al., a quick release focusing handle for surgical lights is disclosed that includes a hollow handle with an attachable end that encircles the focusing handle of the light. The attachable end includes a tensioning screw that is tightened against the focusing handle, and a circular shield that is attachable distal of the tensioning screw along the hollow handle. The shield is detachable as a unit from the hollow handle for packaging and storage.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,252, to Barron et al., a sterilizable multi-part handle for attachment to surgery room light fixtures is disclosed that includes a handle body portion, an end having a threaded head portion, and a separate circular disc that fits onto the threaded head portion end. The handle body portion is packaged by stacking of discs and handle bodies side-by-side with a retainer strap encircling the handle bodies.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved disposable light handle that connects with a light fixture, that can be compactly containerized for space-efficient and sterile storage and shipment until utilized in sterile medical environments, and that provides ease of unpackaging and assembly by sterile gloved medical personnel.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a disposable light handle.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a light handle that may be packaged in a sterile, space efficient configuration to minimize the volume of stored handle.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a disposable light handle that provides ease of gripping in moist environments, and fits onto a multitude of light fixtures.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a disposable light handle that is easily removed from packaging and assembled by gloved medical personnel in sterile environments.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a disposable light handle for attachment to a manually adjustable light fixture such as light fixtures employed in surgical suites, dental offices and sterile medical settings. The present handle is designed to be removably attached to the light fixture employing an existing threaded attachment means on the light fixture and a mating threaded end of the disposable handle, and/or an adaptor interposed between the disposable handle and the light fixture attachment means.
The disposable light handle of the present invention includes an elongated handle portion, one end of which is closed, and the opposite open end of which is provided with a threaded portion. At the junction of the handle portion and the threaded portion there is provided a generally circular shield that is integrally formed with the handle portion and projects radially therefrom to provide a guard against contact between the hand of a user and the light fixture during attachment of the handle to the light fixture, and during grasping of the handle by the user for adjustment of the light fixture. In the preferred embodiment the shield is relatively thin, of substantially uniform wall thickness, and sufficiently resilient as permits the opposite sides of the outer periphery of the shield to be bendable into an overlying relationship to the handle portion, and to rebound to their relaxed state as a part of the shield. Further, the shield is preferably formed initially of a concave geometry such that the outer periphery of the shield drapes toward the closed end of the handle portion.
For purposes of minimizing space in the packaging and storage of the present disposable light handle, the shield is provided with open loop-type projections located diametrically opposed to one another on the outer periphery of the shield. The handle portion is provided with projections at locations along the length of the handle portion and disposed on opposite sides of the handle in position to releasably receive thereon the open loop-type projections of the shield when the shield is bent to position its opposite sides in overlying relationship to the handle portion.
As a further aspect of the present invention, provision is made for the interconnection of two light handles in a single package. This feature is accomplished in the preferred embodiment by providing an elongated groove in the closed end of the handle portion of a first light handle, the groove opening outwardly both from the side surface and of the distal surface of the closed end of the handle portion. On the same side of the first light handle as the location of its elongated groove, there is provided an elongated projection which is located at the junction of the handle portion and the shield. The projection extends away from the shield along a portion of the length of the handle portion in position to be received in the elongated groove of a second light handle. For packaging of first and second light handles in a single package, the closed end of the first light handle is positioned at the junction of the handle portion and shield of the second light handle such that the groove of the first light handle receives therein the projection of the second light handle and vice versa. This relative positioning of the two light handles further locates the closed end of the second light handle at the junction of the handle portion and shield of the first handle portion whereby the projection at the juncture of the handle portion and shield of the first light handle is received in the groove in the closed end of the second light handle thereby providing for two spaced apart interlocking locations of the first and second light handles. The elongated structure of these interlocking grooves and projections on the two light handles provides several advantages including ease of assembly and disassembly of the two light handles, and positive interlocking of the two light handles for handling during packaging operations and during removal of the two light handles under sterile conditions within a surgical suite such that the two light handles do not inadvertently separate during their removal from their packaging and are dropped outside the desired sterile field, for example.
In one embodiment, the junction between the handle portion and the shield is defined by a circular transition shoulder which is of greater thickness than the shield and provides strengthening of the interconnection of the shield to the handle portion. This enhanced strengthening of this juncture permits repeated flexing and enhanced resiliency of the shield relative to the handle portion as when bending the opposite sides of the shield into overlying relationship to the handle portion.
In an alternative embodiment, the light handle of the present invention is combined with an adaptor which receives the threaded portion of the light handle and a differently threaded or shaped receiver or receptacle on the light handle, thereby permitting the present light handle to be employed with differing existing light fixtures.
In an alternative embodiment, the handle portion of the present light handle is of a multi-sided cross-sectional geometry to aid in the sure grasping of the handle during its use. Further, the cross-sectional diameter of the handle portion preferably is varied from a first and smaller diameter nearest its closed end and a second and greater diameter commencing at the location of the projections thereon which receive the loop-type projections of the shield, and extending to the juncture of the handle portion and the shield. Employing these different diameters of the handle portion, the present invention provides for the orientation of the projections in a direction substantially parallel to the length of the handle portion. By this means, the projections are in position to readily receive and retain the loop-type projections of the shield, while also providing for the ready release of the loop-type projections from the projections on the handle when the present light handle is removed from its sterile packaging for use. Further, the placement and orientation of the projections on the handle minimizes their destruction or mutilation during handling and minimizes any likelihood that these projections will damage the glove of a user and thereby destroy the desired sterile field.
In an alternative embodiment, the disposable light handle includes an elongated body portion having an outer surface, a closed end and an opposite end adapted to be attached to a light fixture for manipulation of the light, and a generally circular shield extending radially from the body portion at a location adjacent the opposite end of the light handle. The light handle improvement comprises an elongated groove defined in the outer surface of the body portion, the groove originating at the closed end of the body portion and extending along a portion of the length of the body portion to terminate short of the shield, the groove having a cross-section having a perimeter which is continuous except for a single opening defined in the perimeter, the opening comprising less than one-half of the perimeter of the cross-section perimeter. The light handle improvement further comprises an elongated tongue projecting from the outer surface of the body portion at a location substantially opposite the location of the groove in the outer surface, the tongue originating adjacent the closed end of the body portion and extending along at least a portion of the length of the body portion, the tongue having a cross-section having a closed perimeter which is complementary to the cross-section of the groove, whereby the tongue is receivable within the groove to releasably interconnect a first light handle to a second light handle of like design.